Method, system and program product for determining differences between an existing graphical user interface (GUI) mapping file and a current GUI

• US 20030202012A1
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kemp, Kirk O.
• Granted Patent: US 6,898,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method, system and program product for determining differences between an existing graphical user interface (GUI) mapping file and a current GUI is provided. Specifically, under the present invention, a first list of objects based on an existing GU mapping file (i.e., pertaining to a previous version of a software program) is recursively generated. A second list of objects based on a current GUI (i.e., pertaining to a current version of a software program) is also recursively generated. The two lists are then compared to determine if any GUI objects have been changed (added or removed) between the previous and current versions of the software program.

Claims

1. A method for determining differences between an existing graphical user interface (GUI) mapping file and a current GUI, comprising:

recursively constructing a first list of GUI objects based on the existing GUI mapping file;

recursively constructing a second list of GUI objects based on the current GUI; and

determining differences between the existing GUI mapping file and the current GUI by comparing the first list to the second list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first list identifies parent objects and child objects from the existing GUI mapping file, and wherein the second list identifies parent objects and child objects from the current GUI.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a first message for each of the GUI objects in the first list not found in the second list.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying a second message for each of the GUI objects in the second list not found in the first list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the GUI objects in the first list has a tag in a non-dynamic format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the GUI objects in the second list not found in the first list has a tag in a dynamic format.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the current GUI pertains to a current version of a program.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the existing GUI mapping file pertains to a previous version of the program.

9. A method for determining differences between an existing graphical user interface (GUI) mapping file and a current GUI, comprising:

constructing a first list of all parent objects from the existing GUI mapping file and recursively adding thereto all child objects from the existing GUI mapping file;

constructing a second list of all parent objects from the current GUI and recursively adding thereto all child objects from the current GUI;

displaying a first message for each of the objects in the first list not found in the second list; and

displaying a second message for each of the objects in the second list having a tag in a dynamic format.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising comparing the first list to the second list to determine differences between the existing GUI mapping file and the current GUI.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the objects in the first list has a tag in a non-dynamic format.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the objects in the second list having a tag in a dynamic format is not found in the first list.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the existing GUI mapping file pertains to a previous version of a program, and wherein the current GUI pertains to a current version of the program.

14. A system for determining differences between an existing graphical user interface (GUI) mapping file and a current GUI, comprising:

a file system for recursively constructing a first list of objects based on the existing GUI mapping file;

a GUI system for recursively constructing a second list of objects based on the current GUI; and

a comparison system for determining differences between the existing GUI mapping file and the current GUI by comparing the first list to the second list.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first list identifies parent objects and child objects from the existing GUI mapping file, and wherein the second list identifies parent objects and child objects from the current GUI.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a message system for displaying a first message for each of the objects in the first list not found in the second list, and for displaying a second message for each of the objects in the second list not found in the first list.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the objects in the first list has a tag in a non-dynamic format.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the objects in the second list not found in the first list has a tag in a dynamic format.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the current GUI pertains to a current version of a program, and wherein the existing GUI mapping file pertains to a previous version of the program.

20. A program product stored on a recordable medium for determining differences between an existing graphical user interface (GUI) mapping file and a current GUI, which when executed comprises:

program code for recursively constructing a first list of objects based on the existing GUI mapping file;

program code for recursively constructing a second list of objects based on the current GUI; and

program code for determining differences between the existing GUI mapping file and the current GUI by comparing the first list to the second list.

21. The program product of claim 20, wherein the first list identifies parent objects and child objects from the existing GUI mapping file, and wherein the second list identifies parent objects and child objects from the current GUI.

22. The program product of claim 20, further comprising program code for displaying a first message for each of the objects in the first list not found in the second list, and for displaying a second message for each of the objects in the second list not found in the first list.

23. The program product of claim 20, wherein each of the objects in the first list has a tag in a non-dynamic format.

24. The program product of claim 20, wherein each of the objects in the second list not found in the first list has a tag in a dynamic format.

25. The program product of claim 20, wherein the current GUI pertains to a current version of a program, and wherein the existing GUI mapping file pertains to a previous version of the program.